Air housing apparatus for protecting lens of vehicle-installed optical device

ABSTRACT

Provided is an air housing apparatus for protecting, from contamination, scratches, damage and the like, a lens and a cover glass which affect the performance of an optical device installed on a vehicle such as a camera and LIDAR. The air housing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cover into which high pressure air is fed; an air guide for injecting the supplied high pressure air toward the front surface of a lens or a sensor; and an air housing provided so as to connect the cover and the air guide and transferring the high pressure air supplied from the cover to the air guide. Therefore, a lens, sensor, or cover glass of a vehicle-installed optical device such as a camera and LIDAR can be continually protected from contamination and scratches by means of the injected air. In addition, energy efficiency can be enhanced by controlling the discharge pressure of air provided by an air pressure generation apparatus on the basis of information relating to the running speed and RPM of the vehicle or the air flow direction and air flow velocity.

In addition, while preferred embodiments of the present disclosure havebeen illustrated and described, the present disclosure is not limited tothe above-described specific embodiments. Various changes can be made bya person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure claimed in claims, and also, changed embodimentsshould not be understood as being separate from the technical idea orprospect of the present disclosure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an air housing apparatus, and moreparticularly, to an air housing apparatus for protecting a lens of anoptical device mounted in a vehicle, such as a camera, LiDAR, or thelike.

BACKGROUND ART

An advanced driver assistance system (‘ADAS’), which is a system forassisting a driver in driving a vehicle, is currently applied to variousfields, and, due to the expanding market for autonomous driving, variousautonomous vehicle-related technologies are being developed.

Compared to a camera for the ADAS system, which is normally mounted on abackside of a windshield of a vehicle, a sensor of an autonomous vehiclemay be mounted on a roof, a fender, and a side-view mirror of thevehicle, with a camera or LiDAR being exposed to the outside.

However, such an optical sensor as a camera which collects visible lightand analyzes a shape, or LiDAR which analyzes a 3D shape throughinformation received by emitting lasers, may be vulnerable tocontamination of a lens or cover glass, and thus, when contaminationbecomes serious, contamination may be a major cause for degradation ofperformance of the sensor and malfunction.

To solve this problem, a related-art method detects contamination whencontamination occurs, and removes a contamination source by spraying acleaning solution or blowing air onto the lens through a narrow nozzle.

However, this method may have a problem that contamination is removedautomatically or manually only when contamination of a predeterminedlevel or more occurs on a lens.

The method of spraying the cleaning solution, which is the mosteffective method for removing the contamination source, may have aproblem that, when the cleaning solution is sprayed during driving, itis difficult to stably receive the result of sensing by thecorresponding sensor until the cleaning solution is dried.

In addition, such an exposed lens may be used, and, when an autonomousvehicle travels on a road, foreign substances such as sand on the roadmay fly to the lens or cover glass, causing scratches on the camera lensor cover glass, which in turn causes the sensor not to exactly recognizeobjects.

For this reason, dome-like cover glass may be mounted on the camera toguarantee a viewing angle and to solve degradation. However, thedome-like glass may prevent contamination and degradation, but there maybe still a problem that collected information is distorted due to arefraction of light.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The present disclosure has been developed in order to address theabove-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, and an object of thepresent disclosure is to provide an air housing apparatus which performsa role of a housing for regularly preventing contamination and scratcheson a lens, a sensor or cover glass of an optical device, such as acamera, LiDAR, or the like mounted in a vehicle, by using sprayed air.

Technical Solution

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure to achieve theabove-described object, an air housing apparatus includes: a coverconfigured to allow high-pressure air to be injected therethrough; anair guide configured to spray the supplied high-pressure air toward afront surface of a lens or a sensor; and an air housing provided toconnect the cover and the air guide, and to deliver the high-pressureair supplied from the cover to the air guide.

In addition, the air housing apparatus according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may perform roles of cover glass and a housing forprotecting the lens from contaminants by spraying the high-pressure aironto the front surface of the lens or the sensor of a vehicle-mountedoptical device inserted thereinto.

In addition, the cover may include an air injection port to perform arole of a housing rear surface cover, and simultaneously, to perform arole of a connector to connect a high-pressure air pipe and the housing.

In addition, the air housing may include a housing passage providedtherein and extended in a longitudinal direction to provide a transferpath of air, and the housing passage may be formed to have a diametergradually decreasing along a transfer direction to increase a flowvelocity of the transferred air.

In addition, the air guide may include a guide passage provided thereinto allow the high-pressure air supplied through the air housing to passtherethrough, and simultaneously, to guide the air in a sprayingdirection.

In addition, the guide passage may adjust the spraying direction of theair to spray the air at an angle suitable for the optical device.

In addition, the guide passage may include a plurality of guide pinsformed therein to have a predetermined slope, the plurality of guidepins being spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance toadjust the transfer direction of the air and to suppress a vortex.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an airhousing system includes: an air housing apparatus configured to performroles of cover glass and a housing for protecting a lens fromcontaminants by spraying high-pressure air toward a front surface of alens or a sensor of a vehicle-mounted optical device inserted therein;an air pressure generation device connected to the air housing apparatusto provide the high-pressure air; and an air pressure control deviceconfigured to control discharge pressure of air provided by the airpressure generation device, based on information on a driving speed ofthe vehicle, RPM, or an air flow direction and an air flow velocity.

Advantageous Effects

According to embodiments of the present disclosure as described above,contamination and scratches on a lens, a sensor, or cover glass of anoptical device such as a camera, LiDAR mounted in a vehicle can beregularly prevented by using sprayed air.

In addition, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, energyconsumption efficiency can be enhanced by controlling discharge pressureof air provided by an air pressure generation device, based oninformation of a running speed of a vehicle, RPM or an air flowdirection and an air flow velocity.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an air housingapparatus for protecting a lens of an optical device mounted in avehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the air housing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an interior of the air housingapparatus;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the air housingapparatus;

FIG. 5 is a view schematically illustrating an air cover which isgenerated when the air housing apparatus having a camera insertedthereinto operates;

FIG. 6 is a view schematically illustrating an air cover which isgenerated when the air housing apparatus having LiDAR inserted thereintooperates; and

FIG. 7 is a view provided to explain an air housing system which usesthe air housing apparatus.

BEST MODE

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in more detailwith reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an air housingapparatus 100 for protecting a lens of an optical device mounted in avehicle (hereinafter, referred to as the “air housing apparatus”)according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is anexploded perspective view of the air housing apparatus 100, FIG. 3 is aperspective view illustrating an interior of the air housing apparatus100, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the airhousing apparatus 100.

The air housing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment isprovided to perform the role of a housing for regularly preventingcontamination and scratches on a lens 11, a sensor, or cover glass of anoptical device, such as a camera 10, LiDAR 20 mounted in a vehicle, byusing sprayed air.

Specifically, the air housing apparatus 100 may perform roles of coverglass and a housing for protecting the lens 11 from contaminants, byspraying high-pressure air onto a front surface or an upper end of thelens 11 or the LiDAR sensor 20 of the vehicle-mounted optical deviceinserted thereinto.

To achieve this, the air housing apparatus 100 may include a cover 110,an air housing 120, and an air guide 130.

The cover 110 may perform the role of the rear surface cover 110 of theair housing apparatus 100, and simultaneously, may allow high-pressureair to be injected therethrough.

Specifically, the cover 110 may be provided on a rear surface or a lowerend of the air housing apparatus 100, and may be provided with one ormore air injection ports 111 connected with a high-pressure air pipe220, and may perform the role of the housing rear surface cover 110, andsimultaneously, may perform the role of a connector to connect thehigh-pressure air pipe 220 and the housing.

In this case, the number of air injection ports 111 connected with thehigh-pressure air pipe 220 is defined as n, and sizes, lengths, etc. maybe adjusted according to technical requirements of an application field,such as an amount of requested discharge, partial pressure, etc.

The air housing 120 may deliver high-pressure supplied from the cover110 to the air guide 130.

Specifically, the air housing 120 may be provided to connect the cover110 and the air guide 130 and to deliver high-pressure air supplied fromthe cover 110 to the air guide 130.

To achieve this, the air housing 120 may include a housing passage 121formed therein and extended along a longitudinal direction to provide atransfer path of air.

The housing passage 121 may be formed to have a diameter graduallydecreasing along the transfer direction so as to increase a flowvelocity of transferred air.

That is, the housing passage 121 is formed in the form of a nozzle tohave a passage tapering toward a discharge port to let high-pressure airflow therethrough, and is formed to increase the flow velocity of airaccording to Bernoulli's equation.

The housing passage 121 may allow the high-pressure air passing throughthe passage of the nozzle shape and passing through an end of thehousing passage 121 to spread widely and to arrive at the air guide 130.

The air guide 130 may allow the supplied high-pressure air to be sprayedto the outside, and may guide a spraying direction when spraying thehigh-pressure air.

Specifically, the air guide 130 may be provided on a front surface or anupper end to spray the high-pressure air toward a front surface of thelens 11 or the LiDAR sensor 20.

To achieve this, the air guide 130 may include a guide passage 131provided therein to allow the high-pressure air supplied through the airhousing 120 to pass therethrough, and simultaneously, to guide thespraying direction of the air.

The guide passage 131 may adjust the spraying direction of the air so asto spray the air at an angle suitable for the optical device.

For example, the guide passage 131 may be provided with a plurality ofguide pins (not shown) formed therein to adjust the transfer directionof the air and to suppress a vortex, and may adjust the sprayingdirection of the sprayed air.

The guide pin (not shown) may be provided in plural number, and may beformed to have a predetermined slope, and the plurality of guide pinsmay be spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance toadjust the spraying direction of the sprayed air.

That is, the plurality of guide pins may have their respective slopeadjusted to refract the air passing through the guide passage 131 and toadjust the transfer direction of the air.

The high-pressure air supplied by passing through the guide passage 131may be sprayed to the front of the lens 11 or above the LiDAR sensor 20as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and may form an air cover (air dome) of adome shape or a conical shape, thereby finally protecting the lens 11,the cover glass of the optical device from contamination and scratches,etc.

Specifically, FIG. 5 is a view schematically illustrating an air coverwhich is generated when the air housing apparatus 100 having the camera10 inserted thereinto operates, and FIG. 6 is a view schematicallyillustrating an air cover which is generated when the air housingapparatus 100 having the LiDAR 20 inserted thereinto operates.

In addition, the guide passage 131 may be positioned on a back side(rear surface) of the camera lens 11 or under the cover glass of theLiDAR 20 to perform the role of cover glass and a housing for protectingthe lens 11 or the LiDAR sensor 20 from contaminants, withoutobstructing a field of vision.

In addition, changes may be made to an inner diameter of the air guide130 and an inner diameter of the air housing 120 (a structure and adimension for inserting the optical device), and changes may be made toan angle of the guide passage 131, such that the air housing apparatus100 may be applied to various optical devices such as a large calibercamera 10 and LiDAR 20 to protect the lens 11 and the cover glass.

FIG. 7 is a view provided to explain an air housing system using the airhousing apparatus 100.

Referring to FIG. 7, the air housing system may include the air housingapparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, an airpressure generation device 200 connected to the air housing apparatus100 to provide high-pressure air, and an air pressure control device 300to control the air pressure generation device 200.

The air housing apparatus 100 is the same as described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 6, and a detailed description thereof isomitted.

The air pressure generation device 200 may include a plurality of airpressure generators 210 to individually generate air of air pressure,and a plurality of high-pressure air pipes 220 connected to the airpressure generators 210-1, 210-2 and the air housing apparatus 100 tosupply high-pressure air to the air housing apparatus 100.

The respective air pressure generators 210-1, 210-2 may individuallyoperate according to a control signal transmitted from the air pressurecontrol device 300, and may control discharge pressure of air suppliedto the air housing apparatus 100.

Although two air pressure generators 210-1, 210-2 are illustrated forconvenience of explanation, the number of air pressure generators may beimplemented variously according to a structure and a dimension of theoptical device, and the same number of high-pressure air pipes 220 asthe air pressure generators 210 may be implemented.

The air pressure control device 300 may acquire information regarding adriving condition of the vehicle or an air flow direction, an air flowvelocity, and may variably adjust the discharge pressure of suppliedair, based on the information, such that energy consumption efficiencycan be enhanced, and simultaneously, an air dome (or air cover) can beeffectively generated.

In addition, the air pressure control device 300 may variably adjustpressure of each high-pressure air pipe 220, thereby enabling a moreeffective air dome to be formed to protect the optical device accordingto various surrounding circumstances.

To achieve this, the air pressure control device 300 may include asensing unit 310 provided with various sensors to acquire information ona speed of the vehicle, RPM, a, parking, stopping condition, strength ofambient air (an air flow velocity) including natural wind and vehicleair generated by driving of the vehicle, an air flow direction, and acontrol signal generation unit 320 to acquire the information on thespeed of the vehicle, RPM, parking, stopping condition from the vehicleor the sensing unit 310, and to generate a control signal forcontrolling discharge pressure of air provided by the air pressuregeneration device 200.

The technical concept of the present disclosure may be applied to acomputer-readable recording medium which records a computer program forperforming the functions of the apparatus and the method according tothe present embodiments. In addition, the technical idea according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in theform of a computer readable code recorded on the computer-readablerecording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be any datastorage device that can be read by a computer and can store data. Forexample, the computer-readable recording medium may be a read onlymemory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, afloppy disk, an optical disk, a hard disk drive, or the like. A computerreadable code or program that is stored in the computer readablerecording medium may be transmitted via a network connected betweencomputers.

1. An air housing apparatus comprising: a cover configured to allowhigh-pressure air to be injected therethrough; an air guide configuredto spray the supplied high-pressure air toward a front surface of a lensor a sensor; and an air housing provided to connect the cover and theair guide, and to deliver the high-pressure air supplied from the coverto the air guide.
 2. The air housing apparatus of claim 1, wherein theair housing apparatus is configured to perform roles of cover glass anda housing for protecting the lens from contaminants by spraying thehigh-pressure air onto the front surface of the lens or the sensor of avehicle-mounted optical device inserted thereinto.
 3. The air housingapparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an air injection portto perform a role of a housing rear surface cover, and simultaneously,to perform a role of a connector to connect a high-pressure air pipe andthe housing.
 4. The air housing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airhousing comprises a housing passage provided therein and extended in alongitudinal direction to provide a transfer path of air, and whereinthe housing passage is formed to have a diameter gradually decreasingalong a transfer direction to increase a flow velocity of thetransferred air.
 5. The air housing apparatus of claim 1, wherein theair guide comprises a guide passage provided therein to allow thehigh-pressure air supplied through the air housing to pass therethrough,and simultaneously, to guide the air in a spraying direction.
 6. The airhousing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the guide passage is configured toadjust the spraying direction of the air to spray the air at an anglesuitable for the optical device.
 7. The air housing apparatus of claim6, wherein the guide passage comprises a plurality of guide pins formedtherein to have a predetermined slope, the plurality of guide pins beingspaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance to adjust thetransfer direction of the air and to suppress a vortex.
 8. An airhousing system comprising: an air housing apparatus configured toperform roles of cover glass and a housing for protecting a lens fromcontaminants by spraying high-pressure air toward a front surface of alens or a sensor of a vehicle-mounted optical device inserted therein;an air pressure generation device connected to the air housing apparatusto provide the high-pressure air; and an air pressure control deviceconfigured to control discharge pressure of air provided by the airpressure generation device, based on information on a driving speed ofthe vehicle, RPM, or an air flow direction and an air flow velocity.